U.S. Officials Shift Approach After Iran Operation

U.S. officials expected the outcome of a January operation in Venezuela to serve as a template for Iran. In that earlier action, operatives removed the sitting president and secured cooperation from the vice president, who later transferred a former minister to face charges in the United States.

The same officials publicly described the Venezuela sequence as a model they hoped to repeat. They referred to a new approach labeled "decapitate and delegate" and explored several Iranian political figures as potential transitional leaders.

The campaign against Iran differed from the Venezuela operation in scope. Rather than targeting only the head of state, strikes hit military, civilian, and infrastructure sites across the country. Reports indicated hundreds of deaths in the opening days, including both uniformed personnel and noncombatants.

Iranian authorities responded by naming a new supreme leader from within the existing system. Officials later stated they were examining other domestic figures for possible cooperation, but those efforts did not produce the level of compliance seen in Venezuela.

The United Arab Emirates attributed a drone incident near one of its nuclear facilities to Iran. In response, the administration postponed a planned follow-up strike after consultations with several Arab governments. Administration sources told media outlets that planning for possible action against Cuba has advanced.

Those sources described stepped-up sanctions and an oil blockade as initial measures under consideration, with military options now under review following developments in Iran.